Body Modification in East Asia: An Introduction

This short article introduces the special issue “Chasing Beauty: Cosmetic Surgery and Skin Lightening in East Asia”. It highlights scale of interest current boom these procedures across Northeast Southeast Asia, outlines some questions causality interpretation arising from that boom. then summarises contents other five contributions to collection, identifies a number common themes conclusions them. These are: (1) ongoing eclipse Western by Asian beauty ideals; (2) continuing prevalence uncritically inegalitarian assumptions about relationship between physical appearance (especially skin colour) social status; (3) widespread framing self-improvement as an ethically well economically desirable pursuit; (4) weakness cultural impediments body modification most countries Asia; (5) persistence, despite permissive attitudes such, concern with authenticity naturalness ultimate appearance.